Memorial Obelisk at Herzog Hans Hospital Courtyard

On a spring morning in 1940, a small group of Danish soldiers were ordered to stop an invasion of Denmark by far larger and stronger German superior forces. Since then, the fallen soldiers have been commemorated for the courage and bravery they displayed in the tragic story of a tortuous Danish chain of command. Because the surrender order sent out from Copenhagen was not passed on until fighting between the undermanned Danish military and the superior German military, which had tanks and planes, had raged for at least an hour, perhaps longer.On April 9, Haderslev became the center of heavy fighting, which started at the Herzog Hans church, where a small group of soldiers under Kornet F. Vesterby was positioned with a cannon and received orders to fire as soon as the Germans could see on the horizon were; they were all badly wounded and two of them later died from their injuries. Fighting continued in the city streets, concentrating on Haderslev Barracks, where the soldiers put up stiff resistance until the surrender order from Copenhagen was finally relayed at 7.45am and got through.The memorial obelisk in the Herzog Hans Hospitalshof is only a few meters from the spot where two of the fallen soldiers were mortally wounded. The obelisk bears the names of the 4 young soldiers who died on April 9th and it was inaugurated on November 27th 1940, just over 6 months after the invasion, on the day that Kornet F. Vesterby died 21st birthday would have celebrated.Since then, every year on April 9, the military garrison in Haderslev has shown their respect by laying a wreath, saluting and speeches at the memorial obelisk.visithaderslev.de/haderslev/planen-sie-ihr-reise/denkmal-fuer-den-9-april-1940-gdk1118680

Small church with a lot of history.